The entire games industry has seen some sort of guiding light - smartphone gaming. You're in this section right now, so clearly you see some appeal too. You probably know that there's a few companies that don't see this light. Nintendo are certainly not interested in releasing games outside of their own consoles. Analysts state that iOS games are the cause of the 3DS's decline. The iPad is outright being compared to the Wii U, and those same analysts are confident that a fabled Apple television set paired with an iOS device will put the nail on the home console coffin. But what do you think? Do you see mobile gaming outright displacing gaming on dedicated devices? Is your DSi collecting dust while you consistently play Angry Birds? Do you see yourself playing a Wii U less and less and instead beaming your mobile game to the TV? I'll be quick with my opinion: I doubt it all. I think the games industry is chasing the wrong path, just like they are with "the social". The industry's obsession with spending billions on big-budget, ultimately niche first-person shooters, rehashes and whatnot, and spending not too much on what people are interested in, is what leads to consoles and handhelds to not selling so much. The focus is in the wrong place.
The only type of gaming I really like doing on my phone is quick, pick-up-and-play gaming. If I'm in a waiting room or something, it's nice to grab my phone and play a round of Bejeweled or Fruit Slice. I wouldn't want to play something like a Zelda game or an RPG on my phone - that's what my handhelds and consoles are for. And I don't think I'd call FPSes "niche" since every single CoD sells millions and almost certainly breaks sales records each year. Yes, I hate the fact that all gamers want now are generic by-the-numbers yearly shooters, but it's what makes money. Ultimately, though, what makes money is not always what's best for the gaming industry as a whole.
